Doffing mechanism for lap-forming machines



Feb. 23, 1954 z. SZALOKI ET AL DOFFING MECHANISM FOR LAP-FORMING MACHINES 7 Shea"cs-Shea"v 1 Filed Aug. 24, 1951 INVENTOR6 D... mmm w 0 L E L WW W A O 5M m 5 EK M T M A N AR w w/M L MT 0 mm Feb. 23, 1954 2. SZALOKI ET AL 2,669,756

DOFFING MECHANISM FOR LAP-FORMING MACHINES Filed Aug. 24, 1951 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Feb. 23, 1954 2. SZALOKI ET AL 2,669,756

DOFFING MECHANISM FOR LAP-FORMING MACHINES Filed Aug. 24, 1951 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Feb. 23, 1954 z L ET AL 2,669,756

DOFFING MECHANISM FOR LAP-FORMING MACHINES Filed Aug. 24, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Feb. 23, 1954 2. SZALOKI ET AL 2,669,756

DOFFING MECHANISM FOR LAP-FORMING MACHINES Filed Aug. 24, 1951 7 SheetsSheet 6 I I I l I I I I I l l l I I I l l I l I I I Feb. 23, 1954 2. SZALOKI ET AL ,7

DOFFING MECHANISM FOR LAP-FORMING MACHINES Filed Aug. 24, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Patented Feb. 23, 1954 DOFFING MECHANISM FOR LAP-FORMING MACHINES Zoltan Szaloki and William James Senior, Oldham, and Arthur Knowles, West Gorton, Manchester, England, assignors to T. M. M. (Research) Limited, I-lelmshore, Rossendale, England Application August 24, 1951, Serial No. 243,514

Claims priority, application Great Britain August 1, 1950 8 Claims.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved form of doffing mechanism in a textile lap-forming machine of the known kind in which the roller upon which the lap is formed is constrained to follow an upward movement during the formation of the lap, as the diameter of the lap increases, the ends of the lap roller being rotatably supported in bearings incorporated in members, usually termed rack-heads, which are mounted for slidable longitudinal movement in a vertical direction.

In a dofling mechanism in accordance with the invention, movements of the rack-heads away from andto the lap-forming position are utilised to actuate mechanisms which are effective positively to perform the respective operations of ejecting a completed lap from the rack-heads, loading a fresh lap roller thereonto and wrapping the leading edge of the new lap around the lap roller when thelatter reaches the lap-forming position, said mechanisms being mounted on fixed parts of the machine and actuated by the cooperation therewith of members moving with the rack-heads;

The present improved mechanism is of considerably greater simplicity than apparatus hitherto proposed for this purpose. It also possesses the advantages that the operations of removing the completed lap from the rack-heads and of loading a fresh lap-roller thereonto are performed positively, permitting the several movements of the machine to be executed accurately in the required timed relationship.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in, and is hereinafter fully described with reference to, the accompanying drawings. In said drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the 1apforming machine; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the machine as viewed in the direction of thearrow A in Fig. 1, the lap-cradle being omitted for greater clarity; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation as viewed fromthe side opposite to that shown in Fig. 1; Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are fragmentary views of the ejecting and re-loading mechanisms illustrated in Fig. 1, respectively showing the parts thereof in the positions occupied at three distinct stages in the operating cycle; Figs. 7 and 8 are fragmentary views of the lap-forming mechanism, depicting the manner in which the forma- 2 ender rollers, I, 2, 3 and 4, the fluted lap-forming rollers 5 and ii, and the rack-heads 1 and 8, which are guided for vertical sliding movement by the headed pins 9 thereof which cooperate with the slots [0 of the upright frame members and I2.

As will be understood, the rack-heads i, 8 are furnished with inverted bearings l3, which receive the journals of a lap-roller l4 and serve ensure the formation of a tightly rolled lap, consisting in gearing the racks 1 to a brake-drum I5 through pinions I6 on the shaft IT, a slipperbrake l8 being applied to said brake-drum 15 by a weighted lever Hi. (In order to avoid the necessity for the provision of pits to receive the lower end of the rack-head members when the latter are in the lowermost position, said members may be articulated as shown in Fig. l, the articulated portions l 1 I being guided by a suitable track to occupy the position indicated, where they are supported by a shallow tray-like receptacle 20.)

In operation, the lap-roller M is rotated by its contact with the fluted lap-forming rollers 5 and 6, and the operation of building the lap on said roller I l proceeds until the diameter of the lap reaches a certain predetermined value. This value is measured by the rotation of a wheel 2| which is driven by the bottom calender roller 4 I through the worm 22, the worm-wheel 23, the

shaft 2 1 and the pinion 25, which latter is in mesh with gear-teeth upon said wheel 2 I. Said wheel 2| carries a lug 26 which, when the wheel 2| has rotated through one revolution, impinges against the hooked extremity of the arm 2'! of a bell" crank lever 21, 23. Said lever 21, 28 is pivoted at 29 upon a swan-neck lever 30, 3|, which latter is pivoted at 32. When the formation of a lap is in progress, the arm 30 of said lever supports.

a lever 33 (termed the drop lever) which carries a bearing of the drop-shaft 34 on which is mounted a pinion 35 meshing with a spur wheel 36 fixed on the shaft of the bottom calender roller 4. The drop-shaft 34 forms part of the mechanism through which the calender rollers are driven, and it will be seen that when the rotation of the wheel 2| determines the requisite length of a lap, the consequent engagement of the lug 26 with the hooked extremity of lever 27 will have ,;the effect of dragging with it the arm 3|] of the swan-neck lever 30, 3| so that the latter rocks into a position in which the drop lever 33, being no longer supported, falls and disengages the pinion 35 from the calender roll spur wheel 36, thereby discontinuing the feed of the lap through the calender roll stack. The rotation of the rollers 5, 6 continues, however, with the'result that the lap-end is broken, and the loose end of the lap is completely wrapped around the same. At this stage the parts have reached the position illustrated in Fig. 4, the completed lap being indicated by the reference character 31.

When the swan-neck lever 30, 3| is rocked as aforesaid, a connection 38 with the arm 3I operates a time-switch 39 which, a ter a sufficient delay determined thereby to ensure the lapping of the last turn of the lap, closes the circuit of an electric motor 443 which drives the rackehead pinions I6 through a chain 4| meshing with a sprocket (not shown) on the shaft IT. This serves to raise the rack-heads I, 8 from the position shown in Fig. 4 up the slotted members II, I2, carrying the completed lap with them until,when the dofimg position shown in Fig. 5 is reached, the pegs 42 fixed to the rack-heads impinge against the lower edges of a pair of abutments 43 which are pivotally mounted at 44 upon the members I I, I2. Also pivoted at 44 and adjustably fixed to said abutments 43 by setscrews 45 are a pair of ejector members 46, and the arrangement is such that although said ejector members 45 normally depend in the inoperative position shown in Fig. 4, they are actuated'by theimpingement of the pegs 42 with the abutments 43 in such manner as to engage the projecting ends of the lap-roller I4 and eject the lap laterally (as shown in'Fig. 5) from the open bearings I3 of the rack-heads I with sufiicient force to propel it on to the cradle 41 (see Fig. 1). Afte-rthe pegs 42 have passed beyond the abutments 43 the ejector members 4E5 are free to fall back to the inoperative position shown in Figs. 1 and 6.

From the doffing position shown in Fig, 5, the rack heads continue to rise'to'the re-loading position shown in Fig. 6. As they approach this position the pegs 42 impinge against the undersidesof a pair oflevers '48, which are pivoted at 49 and with which are respectively associated two arms 50 which are recessed to provide jointly a support for a fresh lap-roller I4. The upward movement of the pegs 42 turns the arms 50, which have hitherto been located in the position shown in Fig. 5 by the torsion s rings 49 (Fig. 2), downwardly until the lap-roller I4 supported thereby is presented to and deposited upon the proiections I3 of the rack-heads l, 8, the arms 50 moving rearwardly until engaged by the retaining catches 5 I, as shown in Fig. 6.

.The pivotal movement of the levers 48, which occurs when the fresh lap-roller isdelivered to the rack-heads 1, 8, is utilised-to set the calender roll stack'in motion so as to feed the web forward across the fluted rolls 5, 6 in readiness for the commencement of the next lap-building operation. This is achieved through the medium of the link 48 which connects one of said levers 48 to thedrop-lever 33 and raises the latter so that it will again'be supported by the swan-neck lever 30, SI, with the pinion 35 and the spur wheel 36 again in mesh; the time-switch 39 is simultaneously re-set. The arm 3| of the lever 30, 3I being weighted,.this lever is caused to assumeits-initial position: as scenes the lever 21 is released from its engagement by the lug 26 on the continued rotation of the wheel 2 I.

During the upward movement of the rackheads 1, 8, as hereinbefore described, the rotary motion of the shaft IT is transmitted through the spur wheel 52, a pinion 53, a spur wheel 54 and a pinioni55 (Figs. 1 and 2) to a lead-screw 55. Working on said lead-screw is a nut 51 which carries a pair of contactor fingers 58 and 58 Asthe'nut 5'! reaches the left-hand end of the lead-screw56 (when viewed as seen in Fig. 2) said finger 58 actuates a reversing switch 59, the effect of which is'to reverse the current in the circuit of the motor 40. The reversal of the motor-4i] drives'the'rack-heads I, 8, downwardly towards the lap-forming position shown in Fig. 1, the lap-roller I4 passing clear of the arms 50 which remain in the retained position until the pegs 42'strike the upper edges of the abutments 43, whereby the ejector members 46 are caused to swing rearwardly so that they abut-against and actuate a pair of'bell-crank levers ,60 upon which the retaining catches-5| are ivotedycthe pivotal movement of said levers 50 releaseszthe catches 5| from the arms 50, which are .then free to swing forwardly and upwardlyinreadiness to receive another empty lap-roller.

During'the downward movement of "the rackheads "I, 8, the lead-screw56 drivesthenut 51 towards the right-hand end thereof until, when the empty lap-roller reachesthepositi'on shown inFig. 1, the finger 58 operatesacut-tout:switch BI Which interrupts the circuit of-the motor and stops the rack-heads 1,!8. By now the web fed'forwardby the calender rolls 'has'arrivedcat the position depicted inFig 7 (where. said webg-i's denoted by the reference numeral 62) and the lap-roller I4 is receivedin thebight of the web which is formed betweenthe flutedrol1ersI5an'd 6L Before the formation of anew lap can commence it is necessary to wrap the;leading:end.:of the web 62 around the lap-roller 14. This toperation:is performed by the mechanism "shown in Figs. 7 and 3 and which consists ofsanurved plate 63 which extends across the 'machineand is guided by pegs 64 which work intracksrprovi'ded inthe inward faces of a pairof side-'rplates 65, 65. Said plate 63'is also pivotally connected at each end to a double-armed lever 67, 68' which is pivoted at .69 and which carries oniitsarm 68 a bowl T0 which, when therack-hea'd '1 'approaches its lowermost position, is impinged against'by an abutment II and depressed as shown in Fig.8, causing the plate63 to move'forward so thatitsnose 63 engages the underside of the leading edge of the .web62 and-turns the latter over the upper surface of the lap -roller I4. The lap-roller I4'being'now'pressed against the fluted rollers 5, 6, it commences to revolve -(in an anti-clockwise direction, as seen in Fig.-'8)

and-the formation of a new lap is initiated.

On the forward movement of the plate Ii3,-the pegs 64 travel along the tracks I2 of the side plates 65 and 66, but on'the return movementof the platel63which takes place as soon as :the rack-heads 7J8 have risen sufficiently to release the levers 61, ,68-said pegs 64 are arrangedto travel. over the upper surfaces of two ifingers'13 thereby-ensuring that the plate 63 isheld-o1'ear of the lap and prevented from dragging overthe surface thereof. Said fingers 13 are pivotally mounted on the'plates 65, 66 so that when the pegs 64 approach the rearward end oftheir stroke they are permitted to fallback upon thetrac-ks-H.

In order to preserve azconstant'pressurepn"- the lapped web, the degree of braking pressure exerted on the drum I is progressively adjusted as the lap-building operation proceeds. For this purpose a weight 14 is slidably mounted on the lever 19, being driven towards the free end thereof by means of a lead-screw 15 which cooperates with a nut It on said weight 14 and which is driven by a sprocket TI on the shaft I! through a chain '58, a sprocket l9, and a pair of skew-gears 8B, 8!. It will be understood that when the rack-heads l, 8 return to the position of Fig. 1 after being furnished with a fresh lapi'oller, the said gearing restores the weight to the position in which it is nearest the fulcrum of the lever 19.

A safety over-load slipping clutch of any suit" able type is provided at 82 on the driving shaft of the motor 40.

The lap-tray 41 is spring-mounted, as shown in Fig. 1, and a switch 83 associated therewith is arranged to interrupt the circuit of the motor when a lap is upon said tray in order to ensure that said motor id cannot be re-started to initiate a new doffing operation until the lap previously ejected has been removed from the tray. Where a guard is provided to enclose the mechanism as indicated by the dotted line 84, it may be associated with a switch (shown only in Fig. 9), for ensuring that the motor 40 cannot be started when the guard is not in the safety position.

The circuit diagram contained in Fig. 9 is largely self-explanatory. The reference numeral 85 indicates a starter switch, which may be of any conventional type (e. g. a star-delta switch), for starting and reversing the motor 40. Assuming that the lap-tray switch 83 and the guard-switch B6 are closed, the closing of the time-switch 39 starts the motor 4!) to drive rackheads up to the loading position. The coil 81, which is part of the switch 85, is energized to operate the magnetic switch 88, so that the motor circuit will remain complete even though either of the switches 83 and 86 should be broken, and the motor All will continue to run in the forward direction until the nut 51 actuates the switch 59 to break the circuit between the contacts 59 59 When the switch 59 is thrown, a reverse-running circuit through the coil 89 is completed. The motor 40 is reversed and the rack-heads return towards the lapforming position. The energization of the coil 88 closes the switch Bil, which ensures that the motor will continue to run notwithstanding the opening of the switch 59 when the nut 5'! has travelled away from it. When the nut 51 reaches the switch 6! on the rack-heads resuming the lap-forming position, the switch is opened and the motor 43 is stopped. The switch 61 will next be closed, to permit the motor 40 to be re-started for the next upward movement of the rack-heads to the ejecting and loading positions, by the upward movement of the rack-heads as the building of the lap proceeds.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a lap forming machine, a lap roll doffing mechanism comprising. in combination, means for feeding a web, a pair of rack-heads engageable with the journals of a lap roll, means for driving the rack-heads away from their lap rolling position when a roll of lap is complete and for thereafter returning them to their normal position, automatic means for interrupting the web feed after a predetermined period of lap 6, rolling'operation, and, after a short delay, for starting said driving means to initiate the upward movement of the rack-heads, said rackheads including members engageable beneath the lap roll journals to carry a full lap roll away from lap rolling position and to carry a fresh lap roll into lap rolling position, normally inactive ejector members, operating means responsive to movement of the rack-heads away from lap rolling position to actuate the ejector members, for causing them to dislodge the lap roll from the lap roll supporting members of the rackheads, a temporary loading support for a fresh lap roll, means responsive to continued movement of the rack-heads away from normal position for causing said loading support to transfer the fresh lap roll to the lap roll supporting members of the rack-heads, a member movable to wrap the leading end of the lap around the fresh lap roll as the rack-heads return to lap rolling position, and means responsive to such return movement of the rack-heads for actuating said wrapping member.

2. In a lap forming machine, a lap roll doffing mechanism comprising, in combination, means for feeding a web, a pair of rack-heads engageable with the journals of a lap roll, mechanism for driving the rack-heads upward away from their lap rolling position when a roll of lap is complete and for then returning the rack-heads to their lap rolling position, automatic means for interrupting the web feed after a predetermined period of lap rolling operation, and, after a short delay, for starting said driving mechanism to initiate the upward movement of the rack-heads, said rackheads including members engageable beneath the lap roll journals to take over support of the lap roll and carry it upward away from lap rolling position with the rackheads, normally inactive ejector members, operating means responsive to upward movement of the rack-heads to actuate the ejector members, causing them to dislodge the lap roll from the lap roll supporting members of the rack-heads, a loading support for a fresh lap roll located above the ejecting position of the lap roll supporting members of the rack-heads, means responsive to further upward movement of the rack-heads for shifting said loading support into position to transIer the fresh lap roll automatically onto the lap roll supporting members or the rack-heads, a member movable to wrap the leading end of the lap around the descending fresh lap r011 as the rack-heads approach lap rolling position near the end or their downward movement, and means responsive to such downward rack-head movement tor actuating said wrapping member.

3. A lap IOI'IILl'lg machine as set forth in claim 2 in which the mechanism for driving the rackheads includes means for automatically eii'ecting the reversal of the upward movement of the unloaded rack-heads to return them to the lap rolling position, means to reinstate forward feed of the web simultaneously with said reversal, and

means to arrest the rack-heads upon the resumption of the lap rolling position.

4. A lap forming machine as set forth in claim 2 in which the ejector members comprise a pair of parallel ejector levers connected for operation in unison, the machine including frame members I pivotally supporting the ejector members, the

operating means for said ejector members being disposed to be impinged upon by portions of the rising rack-heads and to cause the levers to ense sa a e i-thexrespective projecting .ends of the lap roll and push theroll with the .completed lap clear of the roll supportingmembersof the rackheads.

,5. -A-lap forming machine as set-forth in claim 2-in which the loading support for the fresh lap roll=comprises a pair of parallel levers connected for operation in unison, the machine including frame members p-ivotally supporting the levers, theoperating means for shifting the loading support comprising projecting members unitary with the levers and engageable with projecting members on the rising rack-heads and pivotally movable thereby to present the lap roll to the lap roll supportingmembers of the rack-heads, themachine .further including means for retaining the levers in aposition clear of the deposited lap roll pendin thereturn .of the rack-heads farenough to'carry the roll clear of thelever paths, means for-automatically releasing the levers thereafter, andmeans for restoring the levers to their. originalpositions when so released.

6. A lap forming machine as set forth in claim 2 in which the rack-heads further include invertedbearings which rest on the lap roll journals as the journals are caused to rise in response to'the build-up of the lap on the lap roll, and in which provision is made of means for applying a braking force to the upward movement of the rack-heads, and of means for automatically regulating the braking force in proportion to the increasing lap diameter.

'7. A lap forming machine as set forth in claim 2 .in which a driving electric motor is provided for operating the rack-head and in which the means for automatically interrupting the web feed comprises a wheel and wheel driving means engageable with the lap for measuring thelength of lap fed, alug carried by the wheel, a tripping gear-engaged and actuated by the lug for stopping the web feeding -mechanism, and a time switch also operated by said tripping mechanism for governingthe starting of the rack-head'driving'motor.

8. A lap-forming machine-as set-forth in claim 2 in which themechanism for driving the rackheads up anddown comprises an electric motor and. a. rack-head driving gear, and which further includes electrical switches governing the circuit of the rack-head driving'motor, a lead screw, a driving nut mounted thereon and driven through the lead screw from the rack-head driving gear, said. switches being responsive to the driving nut and serving respectively to effect the reversal of upward movement of the unloaded rack-heads, andthestoppage of therack-heads upon theregaining of the lap rolling position by them.

ZOLTAN SZALOKI. WILLIAM JAMES SENIOR. ARTHUR KNOWLES.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,031,066 Ramsdell Feb. 18, 1936 2,032,076 Weinbrenner Feb. 25, 1936 2,037,348 Stein .Apr. 14, 1936 

